Pin-setting machine



Sept. 19, a CH|SAM PIN-SETTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 EUGENE 0. CA /617M ww z. M

Sept. 19, 1950 E. D. CHISAM PIN-SETTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 EUGENE Lia/514M E. D. CHISAM PIN-SETTING MACHINE Sept. 19, 1950 Filed Dec. 21, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 yam/0. owe/7M,

S p 1950 E. D. CHISYAM 2,522,992

PIN-SETTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 v vuwwk b EUGfA/ED- MAS/7M,

Patented Sept. 19, 1 956 PIN-SETTING MACHINE Eugene D. Chisam, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Northrop Aircraft, Inc.

Application December 21, 1944, Serial No. 569,203

1 The present invention relates to'pin-inserting machines and aims to provide a simple and ellicient machine for that purpose.

One particular aim Of the invention is the provision of a machine for inserting pins in studs of fastener members, such as studs for fasteners of the rotary operative type, for example cowling fasteners. Such fasteners comprise a stud member rotatably mounted in one of the parts to be supported and provided with a transverse pin presenting radial arms adapted to lockingly engage an apertured locking element of a cooperating fastener part mounted upon another part or support. Such stud members are usually formed with integral head and shank portions, the latter being apertured near its nose end for th reception of the transverse pin. The transverse pin is fitted in the stud shank with a pressed fit and mustbe centrally positioned in the stud to insure operability of the stud in the cooperating fastener part. One type of fastener employing such a stud is illustrated in the Bedford Patent No.

2,306,928, granted December 29, 1942.

The fasteners above referred to are used ex: tensively in securing cover plates to various supports, and particularlyin securing cowling sheets to aircraft structures. Such cowling sheets are usually fitted with a number of fastener studs which are preassembled with the sheet before the latter is secured in the assembled installation.

' The sheets are first apertured and the shanks of the headed studs are inserted in the aperture of the sheet after which the pins are inserted transverselydghrough the stud shank. HeretoforeQthe insertion of these pins in the studshas been performed manually, usually with the aid of pliers or a like tool, and this manual operation has been slow, tedious and relatively expensive. The present invention provides a machine for efliciently performing this pin-inserting or pin setting operation to the end that the work may be done more quickly, efficiently and economically.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparentto persons skilled in the art to which 4Claims. (ores-211) holding and pin-inserting mechanism of the ma chine, parts of the work-holding mechanism be ing broken away better to illustrate the com struction thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical central sectional View of the pin-setting mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the pin feeding and setting mechanism as taken on the line 4=--4 of Fig. 3 with a portion of the pin-holding mecha= nism broken awaya;

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view as taken on the line 5-5'of Fig. 3; v

Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of a pilot bar of the workholder and positioner;

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail transverse sectional View of the workholder and positioner as taken on theline 88 of Fig. 2; i

V Fig. 9 is a detail plan view of one bracket arm of a pin-holder;

Fig. 10 is an'edge view thereof;

Fig. his a detail plan of pin-retainer;

Fig. 12 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of pinhopper;

Fig. 14 is a transverse sectional view thereof;

Fig. 15 is an elevation, partly in section, of a fastener stud and cross pin in disassembled position; and

Fig. 16 is an elevation of the assembled fastener stud and cross pmas produced by the machine of the present invention.

The particular embodiment of the invention which hasbeen selected foril-lustrationin-the accompanying drawings comprises a workholder and positioner adapted to receive and properly position thepart to receive the pin, in the present instance the stud shank, and pin=feeding and setting member adapted to position the pinin the aperture of the positioned member or stud shank and to set it therein under pressure. the illustrated use of the invention the member fed. to the work-holder to'receiv'e thefpin' may comprise the shank l of a fastener. stud 2 which has been previously positioned" in apertures "3 of the acowlingor like sheet l. The studs are headed, on one end, as at '5', andth'e nose end may be verse pin 'l not only retains the stud assembled with the cowling sheet a, but is adapted to co:

operate with an apertured fastener part one:

support for securing the cowling sheet to th'e support, as is well understood in*the artand e2 plained in the Bedford Patent No. 2,306,928

above referred to.

The workholder and positioner advantageously may comprise a support H] which may be hollow and carries at one end a workholder havin a recessed seat I2 to receive the shank I of the stud 2. The workholder ll may be formed with a vertical aperture 13 in which is movably mounted a pilot pin l4 adapted to engage in the transverse aperture 6 of the stud, and accurately position the stud shank to receive the pin from the pin-setting mechanism. The pilot I 4 is resiliently urged in advanced position by suitable means, as for example a rocker bar [5 fulcrumed at l6 to the support l0 and resiliently urged by spring II to project the pin l4 through the workholder ll. Thus it will be clear that the pilot pin, in its normal position, will engage in the stud aperture 6 and center the stud to receive the pin 7 from the pin-setting mechanism. As the pin 1 is forced through the stud shank by the pin-setting mechanism, it engages the pilot pin and forces it out of the stud aperture 6 against the tension of spring 11.

The pin-feeding and setting mechanism is advantageously mounted on a support 26 movable toward and from the workholder support Hi. In the illustrated embodiment, one end of the support may be pivoted as at 2i to the support l6 and to upstanding brackets 22, the supports I0 and 26 being normally urged to separated position by an intermediate spring 23 interposed between the supports between the fulcrumed and free ends thereof. An adjustable stop 24 may be mounted on the support 16 forwardly of the spring 23 to limit closing movement of the supports l0 and II.

The supports l0 and 26 of the respective workholding mechanism and pin-feeding and setting mechanisms are, in the illustrated embodiment, in the form of normally separated jaws with the support It for the workholding mechanism fixed and with the other support relatively movable with respect to the fixed support. However, in other embodiments of the invention the other support 20 may be fixed with the support It! movable relative thereto or both supports may be movable. These jaws may be moved to closed position by any suitable means, for example a pneumatic squeeze mechanism comprising a piston rod of a pneumatic motor adapted to engage and bear against a saddle or wear plate 27 on the support 20. The pneumatic squeezer may be operated by any suitable means, for example a treadle-controlled. valve mechanism (not shown) as will be well understood in the art.

', The pin-feeding and setting mechanism associated with the movable support includes a setting head, a pin-holding and positioning means for holding the pin in operative position under the pressure or setting head, a magazine for feeding the pins in end-to-end relationship to a pin-receiving position laterally spaced from the head, and a pin-feeding mechanism for selectively and individually feeding pins from the pinreceiving position laterally to a pin-afiixing position axially of the setting head.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the support 20 is provided with base block 30 whichmay be suitably attached to the under face of the support 2|] and which is provided with a pin-receiving opening 3!, a pin-setting head 32, and a pin-feeder guide opening 33. The pinreceiving opening 3l is rearwardly of the head 32 and communicates with a magazine 34, for

example a tube of slightly larger diameter than the pins 1, so as to permit their free movement therein while being fed by gravity in end-to-end relation axially of the opening 3|. A pin-feeding bar 35 is movable in the guide openin 33 in the block 30 from'a pin-receiving position axially of the opening 3| laterally to a pin-affixing position axially of the head 32, and preferably this bar has a vertically disposed pin-pushing face 36 and a right angular horizontally disposed pin-supporting face 31, both of which are preferably oblique to the longitudinal axis of the bar 35. Preferably the feeder guide Opening 33 is inclined downwardly toward the head, for example at an angle of 20 to the horizontal and is of slightly greater width than the pin. In this manner, the pin is prevented from tumbling from the horizontal supporting face 31 as it is pushed forwardly to the setting position under the head 32.

The pin-feeding bars 35 may be actuated to feed pins 7 successively from the magazine to the pin-setting position by any suitable mechanism and preferably this is effected as a result of the opening movements of the jaw. The bar 35 is normally urged in retracted position by spring 39 interposed between the end of the bar and the support 20.

In the illustrated embodiment the bar 35 is reciprocally mounted in the upper movable jaw or support 20, and the rear end thereof extends through an opening 40 in arm 4| of an actuator 42 pivoted at 43 to the support 2 0.

The actuator 42 may be in the form of a bell crank lever, one arm 4| of which embraces the bar 35 and is operatively connected thereto by means of compensating spacers and washers 44 surrounding the bar and interposed between the actuator arm 4| and a transverse pin 45 on the bar 35. The other arm of the bell crank actuator 42 may be shaped to provide a latch-receiving notch or recess 46 and latch-actuating cam 4'! adapted respectively to receive and actuate a latch 48 pivotally mounted as at 49 upon the opposite support or jaw 26. The actuator is normally held in its upper or unlatched position, as illustrated in full line in Fig. 3, by reason of the sprin 39 and the connection between the actuator arm 4i and the base 35.

In the upper or open position of the jaw or support 26 the pin-feeding bar 35 is in a retracted position with the pin-supporting face 37 below and in axial alignment with the feed opening 3| and the magazine 34. As the upper support 26 is moved toward the support [0 the latch 48 is engaged in the recess 46 of the actuator 42. During initial upward or opening movement of the support 26 the actuator 42 is held engaged by the latch which rocks the actuator about its pivot 43 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, thus moving the bar toward the open ends of the jaws, thus moving a pin 7 from a position axially of the magazine to a position axially of the head 32. In this position the bar 35 and the actuator 42 have been moved to their furthermost positions, whereupon the cam surface 41 of the actuator 42 engages the latch 48 to disengage it from the actuator 42, permitting the bar 35 and actuator to be returned to their normal positions by spring 39. The latch 48 is normally maintained in position to engage the latch by a spring member 50. Forward movement of the bar 35 may be limited by means of a stop member 5| adjustably mounted on the support in a position to engage a part of the bar, for example the pin 45. i 1

The actuation of the pin-feeding bar on the upward or opening movement of the jaws 20, as above explained, positions a fresh pin in the pinaflixing position axially of the setting head; This freshly positioned pin is held in pin-affixing position, during retraction of the bar, by means of a holding mechanism mounted on the sup:

The pin-holding means advantageously comprises a pair of fingers (see Figs; 4, 10and l1) hingedl'y' mounted as at 56 to a part of the support 26*, for eitamp'le the block 30; and hav mg. pin ri ping recesses 51 at their forward ends. inaxial alignment with the setting head 32. The adjacent faces of the fingers are spaced apart sulneiently to permit mevemnto'f the bar 35 between thehig hut are spaced suffiiehtly close together so that they may slidil-igly engage 61 ffoffi the pin rec'eivin position to the pin-ar lid'sitiori, thereby preventing the pin frOi'n fallihg from the pinfeeding bar 35. The fingers fI'i-aSf have extensions 58 rearward Of the pivots btween w'hich is moufited a compression Spring 59 61" like" means for nerrnany maintainin the recesses- 51 in closed position under resilient ten sioh. These fingers will engage a pin 1 advanced by the pin fee'dir'1g bar" 35 and hold it in pinsetting position, axially of the head 32, until and diiring' the succeeding closing movement of the jaw 20 toward the machine In; a

As the bar 35 is moved to its retracted or pin-- receiving position (as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 3) a pin drops from the magazine 34 uponthe pirr supporting face or shoulder 31 of the bar 35. This may b gin part, below the near row guide 33* of the block 36', and to hold the lower endof the p n against dislodgmentfrom the" shoulder, retainer fingers 66 are provided; These fingers may advantageously be in the form of resilient strips of spring metal, transversely spaced on opposite sides of the bar 35' and suitably secured to a mounting 6|. The free ends of the fingers are preferablyarcuate ali'id dispdsed Oil QfiPOSite Sides Of the ball in].- mediateiy forward of the pushing edge 36 of the bar.

The pins 1 are fed to the tubular magazine from shoppers: suitably supported on a standard 63 on the machine. Preferably the hopper 62 consists of a receptacle having an inclined bottom 64, one edge of which merges into a semi-circular inclined trough 65 leading to the magazine-34. The standard 63 supporting the hopper is: advantageously supported by the movable jaw 2'6s'o that the hopper is jarred orj vibrated with each operation of the machine. The pins Will thus align themselves axially in the trough and be fed axially in endto-end relation in the magaizifie. I

' iii olfier'ation' the stud shanks are fed to the workholder in any suitable manner, as for example by successively positioning them manually in the workholder ll while partially assembled in the cowlin sheet, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Thestud shanks are positionedin the workholder recess [2 with the pilot pin l4 engaging in the aperture 6 of the stud shank. This properly positions the stud with its aperture 6 to receive the, pin 1 fed by the pin-setting mechanism.

A pin I is held by the pin-gripping jaws 55 at the pin-affixing position having been fed thereto during the previous upstroke of the jaw 20.

As pressure is applied to the ram 25 of the pneu maticsquee'zer to move the jaw 26 toward the workholder l I, the pin 1 supportedin the pin+affixing position is pressed intothe aligned opening 6' of the stud shank i by the presser head 32. The movement of the head 32 toward the workholder II is controlled by the adjustable stop 24 so as to position the pin 1 centrally of the stud shank, during which action the pilot pin I4 is pushed out of the aperture 6 against the tension of lever I5 and spring 16.

In the completely depressed or closed position of the upper or movable jaw 26 the notch 46 of actuator 42 has become engaged by latch 48.

During upward or opening movement of the jaw 26 the latch 48 remains locked in notch 46 of lever 42, rocking lever 42 about its pivot 43 to cause it to be moved to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, and moving the pin-feeding bar 35 outwardly toward the head 32 to move or transfer a pin 1 from the pin-receiving position below the magazine 34 to the pin-affixing posi tion under the head 32, when the pin is heldby the opposed fingers 55 ready to be pressed into an aperture of a stud shank on the next succeed ing pressing operation of the machine.

The invention provides a novel machine will quickly and economically insert cross pins in fastener studs and the like while positioning then'i accurately therein so that equal lengths of the pin will project beyond opposite sides of the stud shank.

The invention is not to be restricted to the ar; ticular' details of the mechanism shown and described as the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pin-inserting machine for positioning an elongated pin in a transverse aperture of a shank comprising a fixed workholder provided with a recess for receiving and positioning a shank and a depressible pin in said recess for engagement in the transverse aperture of such a shank and aligning said aperture of said shank in a prede termined position, a pin presser member movable toward and away from said workholder, power means formoving said pin presser member relative to said workholder, opposed levers mounted on said presser member provided with opposed substantially parallel faces and opposed grooves in said faces adjacent one end providing a pinafiixing position in axial alignment with said eepressible pin in said workholder, spring means; for urging said faces toward each other, opposed spring fingers secured to said pres'ser member at. one end and having outwardly bowed portions at the opposite end adjacent the end of said opposed faces opposite said grooves providing a pin-receiving position, a slide mounted for movement between said bowed portions of said fingers and said opposed faces of said levers and provided with an end surface substantially parallel the axis of said depressible pin and a pin-supporting 7 bowed portions of said fingers is pushed by said end surface from said bowed portions in opposition to frictional pressure from said opposed lever faces to said pin-affixing position for engagement in said grooves whereupon said end surface returns to said pin-receiving position where another pin drops into position to be supported by said bowed portions and said pin-supporting face.

2. A pin-inserting machine for positioning an elongated pin in a transverse aperture of a shank comprising relative movable workholder and pinpresser members, power means for moving said workholder and pin-presser members relatively toward and away from each other, said workholder member having a workholder provided with a recess for receiving and positioning a shank and a depressible pin in said recess for engagement in the transverse aperture of such a shank and aligning said aperture of said shank in a predetermined position, a pair of opposed spring operated levers mounted on said pinpresser member, each of said levers having a face disposed in opposed substantially parallel relation to the corresponding face of the other lever, each of said faces having a groove at one end in opposition to the groove of the other face, said grooves providing a pin-affixing position in axial alignment with said depressible pin, opposed spring fingers with one end secured to said pin-presser member and having opposed outwardly bowed portions at the opposite end adjacent the end of said faces opposite said grooves providing a pin-receiving position with an axis substantially parallel the axis of said depressible I rocably moving said bar upon the relative movement of said pin presser and workholder members away from each other for feeding a pin from said pin-receiving position to said pin-afiixing position and returning said bar to its initial position.

3. A pin-inserting machine for positioning an elongated pin in a transverse aperture of a, shank comprising relatively movable workholder and pin-presser members, power means for relatively moving said members toward and away fro: each other, said workholder member having a shank-receiving recess and a depressible pin in said recess for engagement in the transverse aperture of such a shank and aligning said aperture in a predetermined position, pin-holding mechanism on said pin-presser member comprising opposed levers having opposed substantially parallel faces, each face provided with a groove disposed in opposition to the groove of the other face, said grooves providing a pin-affixing posi' tion for holding a pin axial alignment with said depressible pin, means for feeding elongated pins in end-to-end relationship to a pin-receiving position on said pin-presser member, a pin-feed bar provided with an end surface for engagement with a longitudinal side of a pin and a face normal to said surface for supportin an end of such a pin and adapted and arranged for engaging a pin at said pin-receiving position and feeding it to said pin-afiixing position, and means for reciprocably moving said bar upon the relative movement of said workhold and pinpresser members from each other for feeding a pin from said pin-receiving position to said pinafiixing position and returning said bar to its initial position.

4. A pin-insertin machine for positioning an elongated pin in a transverse aperture of a shank comprising a fixed workholder provided with a recess for receiving and positioning a shank and a depressible pin in said recess for engagement in the transverse aperture of such a shank and aligning said aperture of said shank in a predetermined position, a pin-presser member movable toward and away from said workholder, power means for moving said pin-presser member relative to said workholder, opposed levers mounted on said presser member provided with opposed substantially parallel faces and opposed grooves in said faces adjacent one end providing a pinaflixing position in axial alignment with said depressible pin in said workholder, means for feeding elongated pins in end-to-end relationship to a pin-receiving position on said pinpresser member, a pin feed bar provided with an end surface for engagement with the longitudinal side of a pin and a face normal to said surface for supporting an end of such a pin and adapted and arranged for engaging a pin at said pin-receiving position and feeding it to said pinafiixing position, and means for reciprocably moving said bar upon the relative movement of said workholder and pin-presser members away from each other for feeding a pin from said pin-receiving position to said pinaffixing position and returning said bar to its initial position.

EUGENE D. CHISAM.

REFERENQES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 595,108 Levedahl Dec. 7, 1897 739,811 Baldenweg Sept. 29, 1903 1,729,843 Reich 1 Oct. 21, 1929 1,819,584 Young Aug. 18, 1931 1,938,689 Buckminster Dec. 12, 1933 1,944,360 Meyer 1 Jan. 23, 1934 1,986,458 Young Jan. 1, 1935 2,272,882 Brown Feb. 10, 1942 

